FEAT BC Autism Rally Update Friday, November 13

Parents of autistic children and their supporters will rally outside Premier Gordon Campbell’s constituency office this Friday, November the 13th at noon to protest the provincial government’s attempt to begin to dismantle individualized treatment funding and to mark the 5th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada’s Auton decision.

FEAT of BC (Families for Early Autism Treatment of BC) is a not-for-profit volunteer organization of parents and professionals working towards universal access to effective, science-based treatment for all Canadians diagnosed with autism.

Louise Witt, board member and spokesperson for FEAT of BC states that “The recent tragic deaths of two Canadian children with autism, killed at the hands of their own parents, are a wake up call. The status quo is putting the health of children and their very lives in jeopardy. At present, no mandate exists to deliver healthcare to children with autism or to enshrine their right to this medically necessary treatment.”

“It’s been five years since the Auton decision was overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada and kids with autism are still being denied their treatment” says Bev Sharpe, one of the founding members of FEAT of BC. “How many more children have to die? It’s long past time for the government to do the morally right and economically sensible thing, which is to provide treatment to these vulnerable children.”

For more information, contact Louise Witt at 778-999-0971 or www.featbc.org

autism